A standard by which many people measure their success in life is the automobile which they drive. In most areas of the world, simply owning an automobile gives one immense status. In the more affluent industrial nations of the world, however, one's status is more dependent upon the make and model of the automobile he drives.
Many of the most prestigious automobiles manufactured in the world attempt to distinguish themselves from one another by means of distinctive hood ornaments. These hood ornaments both represent and possess the status and prestige of the automobile upon which they are located. Because these ornaments have come to represent a certain level of affluence, power and prestige, they are now a much sought after commodity in and of themselves. As a result, there has been an increasing problem with the theft of these ornaments from the hoods of these prestigious automobiles.
Among the means devised to thwart this problem of "ornament-theft" is the use of a power retractable hood ornament. Although this is a viable method, it is an extremely expensive and complicated means of doing so.
Another means for preventing the loss of the hood ornament is to make the ornament portable such that the owner of the car could take the ornament with him whenever he is going to leave the car unattended. In the past, this was accomplished by making it possible to screw the hood ornament into the hood or, as on much older models of cars, by attaching the hood ornament to a radiator cap. The disadvantage of this method, though, is that the owner of the vehicle is forced to take the ornament with him each time he leaves the car unattended because of the ease by which someone else could remove the ornament. Also, there is the inherent risk associated with removing the cap of the radiator after the vehicle has been operated.
Hood ornaments of automobiles, especially hood ornaments of "prestigious" automobiles, are vulnerable to theft or breakage. Previous solutions to this problem are either expensive, inconvenient or potentially dangerous. Accordingly, there exists a desire in the art for an improved device that will provide a means to reduce the incidence of theft or damage to the hood ornaments of automobiles.